Veterans’ relatives rejected from Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph event

Organisers set up new rules only allowing veterans and their widows to go to the March Past.

And cops have put pressure on officials to make sure people going register their details in an attempt to stop a catastrophic terror attack.

These hurdles have forced officials to admit they will not get their usual turnout for the parade.

Sally Aitchison, from Croydon said it “would not be the same” standing in the sidelines after regularly going to the march to honour her veteran father’s memory.

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LEST WE FORGET: Officials have admitted they will not get their usual turnout for the parade

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The 47-year-old added: “I got a call saying I didn't have a ticket because of this and I'm still in a state of shock.

“Every year I get my father's medals down from where I have them in storage.

“Standing on the sidelines is just never going to be the same."

The decision to clamp down on the people who can go has also worried veterans.

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MEMORIES: One veteran said children and parents not being allowed to go was 'a great shame'

Colonel Richard Kemp – who served his country as a commander of the armed forces in Afghanistan – said children and parents not being allowed to attend the march was “a great shame”.

He added: "It cannot be underestimated how much these memorials mean to the loved ones of those who have been lost

"I think the Royal British Legion should have been more proactive in the circumstances to make sure every place available was filled.

"They have had a long time to think about this. We certainly cannot say that this security threat is new."

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HONOUR: Officials defended the decisions that have led to falling numbers at the parade

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RESPECT: Organisers set up new rules only allowing veterans and their widows to go

But officials defended the decisions that have led to falling numbers at the parade.

A spokeswoman for the Royal British Legion told the Telegraph: “We stand by the decision to apply more rigorous eligibility criteria for participation in the March Past, which was taken with the agreement of a wide range of stakeholder groups from across the veteran community and government.

“As a result of this decision every veteran who wants to march past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday is now able to do so, and we must prioritise those who have served as part of the British Armed Forces.

“The number of participants this year is marginally lower than our limit of 10,000, however we expect to see this figure rise again next year once the new system is more widely understood.”